Looking for Suggestions to Keep The Food Budget Down

[Cuchman]

Hi All,
The family and I (Wife, Daughter 16, Son 15, Daughter 13) have a six day trip coming up in mid-February and we're staying (for the first time) at the Hard Rock Hotel.
I find myself concerned about how to keep our food costs down.
To frame it a little, on our last trip, we stayed at Cabana Bay (LOVED IT!)- the primary difference being that CB has a decent and relatively inexpensive counter service dining option. Unless I'm missing something, HRH is only full service restaurants and food cart-type options.

Over the course of our trip, we'd probably normally do 2 - maybe 3 - table service meals total. This includes lunch and dinner, parks and hotel. Like, only 3 total.

So I am trying to plan where we can eat cheaper meals and looking for suggestions. I know there are some options at CityWalk, but am unfamiliar with what is good and where to save $$$. Luckily, none of us are terribly big eaters and sharing is a possibility.

Breakfast isn't too much of a concern as we will make a grocery stop on our way to the hotel with our car service and will have loaded up with snacks and breakfast items.

So - suggestions please! How do you guys keep your $$ on food manageable?
As a side suggestion, if you were planning 3 table service meals at UO - where would you go and why?

Thanks!!!

 

[macraven]

Before I share my thoughts, can you tell us what is the range of your food budget per day

Or maybe the total amount you set aside for the entire for the 6 days you will be on site

I have stayed at hrh before and agree it is limited on food deals there

 

[kohlby]

We eat some off-site so that helps, but it sounds like you won't have a car.

We can easily share meals at 3 Broomsticks. What we do that day is buy two adult meal plans for $19.99 each. That gets us two very large drinks and two entrees. We get the chicken and ribs platter - either two of those or one of those and one ribs platter. Then we still have two drink credits and two snack credits left. You don't actually have to use these up on the same day - so take your time using them. We use the snack credits on butterbeer - and get two and share. There are 5 of us, but I'd guess my family eats less so you could need three adult meals. (Two of my kids are under 10 and not big eaters). Normally, we drink water. The coke freestyle machines will give you ice water for free - but you need to have a cup/waterbottle or something to put it in. Orlando water tastes disgusting to me so I always take a water bottle with a filter in case I can't find a freestyle machine nearby.

Another good sharing option is Red Oven Pizza. It's in City Walk. I loved that we could get the pizza to go and take it back to our room and relax. The pizza was super good too. Moe's is also in City Walk and is not expensive, but there's nothing really notable about it - it's fine, it's a chain, but it works.

Also, when you do your grocery stop, pick up some snacks as well. We're a big fruit/veggy family so we supplement our meals with extra fruits and veggies too. We *just* outgrew the stroller stage though, but still in the backpack stage. I realize not all families take a backpack into the park but if you do, it's easy to bring in a little food. We're taking some big eaters with us our next trip and I plan on stocking up on snacks for the evenings.

We don't buy lots of snacks - but we do buy some. However, we do a lot of sharing. The donut at Simpsons is easily shared by a family. Even smaller snacks can be shared. We get two ice creams for the five of us to share for example. Portion sizes are often large - and if they're not, you can always get more food. I don't want to throw away food, so we think sharing and it works.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

The best option I can think of off the top of my head would be the Volcano Nachos at Margaritaville. I think it's like $15, and can easily feed four people. Granted it's not the healthiest of meals, but it's a vacation, right?

CityWalk has a handful of cheaper restaurants: regular chains like Moe's, Burger King Whopper Bar, and Panda Express, as well as some original places: Bread Box and Hot Dog Hall of Fame.

 

[RMulieri]

Sals marketplace over at Portofino Bay for Pizza

 

[damo]

We find that a lot of meals are really large enough for two. The Bula Bar meals at the Royal Pacific are huge. The nachos there easily fill more than two people.

I'd make sure you have food to eat breakfast in the room and also bring along your own snacks. Check out appetizers instead of the entrees. The price is a lot different.

Pizza is always a good choice and Universal has several options. Sal's Deli is really good as is the pizza in Citywalk. Both are really reasonable.

 

[snoopboop]

Another option might be to consider staying Club Level at HRH? If it's available, it adds $100 per night to your hotel cost, but then you'd have breakfast each day covered, plus snacks throughout the day, soda and bottled water all day (you can take them with you out of the lounge), hors d'oeuvres in the evening (which, for lighter eaters, can make a meal), and dessert in the evening. We LOVE staying Club Level and have found that on Club Level trips we spend a LOT less on dining out.

 

[1tripandIfell]

These are great ideas! We are going 2nd week in Feb. and I am nervous about our dining budget...DH & DS (16) eat like horses!! If you found that the food court at CB worked couldn't you walk/bus over there and eat? This trip we are planning on trying Cowfish...I am super excited about that! We are also doing a meal at Hard Rock. The rest are kind of up in the air. The last time I ate at Hard Rock I tried the Texan...So good and super spicy! I have been dreaming about it since!!

THE TEXAN
Choice of hickory-smoked pulled pork or chicken with chipotle barbecue sauce, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, crispy fried jalapeños and onions, piled high on toasted brioche. Go big (10-oz) for a little extra.

 

[Kivara]

Yes, you can walk or take the bus to CB to eat/swim/whatever. The walk is a bit long, but the buses are quick!

The Texan is my hubby's favorite thing at Hard Rock as well...but he says to ask for extra sauce on the side when ordering. The last 2 times he got it, it was rather dry & they were busy, so it took a while to get extra sauce.

 

[Cuchman]

Another option might be to consider staying Club Level at HRH? If it's available, it adds $100 per night to your hotel cost, but then you'd have breakfast each day covered, plus snacks throughout the day, soda and bottled water all day (you can take them with you out of the lounge), hors d'oeuvres in the evening (which, for lighter eaters, can make a meal), and dessert in the evening. We LOVE staying Club Level and have found that on Club Level trips we spend a LOT less on dining out.

Thanks for the tip, Snoopboop - we did consider the club level room, but the only one available with the APH discount was something like $125 more and they only had the King room, so we opted not to go that way. LOVE the idea though, and we'll certainly check that option for future trips.

 

[Cuchman]

These are great ideas! We are going 2nd week in Feb. and I am nervous about our dining budget...DH & DS (16) eat like horses!! If you found that the food court at CB worked couldn't you walk/bus over there and eat? This trip we are planning on trying Cowfish...I am super excited about that! We are also doing a meal at Hard Rock. The rest are kind of up in the air. The last time I ate at Hard Rock I tried the Texan...So good and super spicy! I have been dreaming about it since!!

THE TEXAN
Choice of hickory-smoked pulled pork or chicken with chipotle barbecue sauce, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, crispy fried jalapeños and onions, piled high on toasted brioche. Go big (10-oz) for a little extra.

Thanks trip - yes, I do like keeping open the option of a quick bus to CB for a meal. We loved the hotel very much, so the kids might like the visit as well. Thanks!
And, Cowfish is high on the list of our potential few TS meals. So many people have good things to say about it.

 

[dixonsontour]

This is my trip report for 2014, it reads day 1 trip report, day 1 dining, day 2 trip report, day 2 dining etc. Budget for food was $100 a day for 3 of us, universal and offsite food.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/sh...october-2014-universal-food-complete.3418576/

I've started my October 2015 one same idea

http://www.disboards.com/threads/he...2015-day-4-added.3471391/page-2#post-54992200

 

[Cuchman]

Before I share my thoughts, can you tell us what is the range of your food budget per day

Or maybe the total amount you set aside for the entire for the 6 days you will be on site

I have stayed at hrh before and agree it is limited on food deals there

Macraven, this is an excellent question.....that, I can't quite answer :-/ Unlike most trips we plan, this one is a little fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants. We haven't sat down with the numbers and are planning on winging it, especially food wise.

The reason I asked is so my winging of it is at least better informed

I know in past trips that our rough number was $100 a day for food - with the expectation that it was more of a goal than an actual limit.

 

[Cuchman]

Also, when you do your grocery stop, pick up some snacks as well.

The donut at Simpsons is easily shared by a family.

Thanks Kohlby, Definitely agree on these - we will load up on snacks when we shop. We might buy a loaf or two of bread and some PB for sandwiches, too. I'm not sure if the HRH rooms have a fridge, but I'll make sure to research that before we shop.

AND - we LOVED the doughnut. Four of the five of us shared it last trip. The fifth, oldest daughter, has a milk allergy, so she got left out of that on :-( But, we'll definitely get another one or two of those. Not expensive, fun, and good.

 

[damo]

Thanks Kohlby, Definitely agree on these - we will load up on snacks when we shop. We might buy a loaf or two of bread and some PB for sandwiches, too. I'm not sure if the HRH rooms have a fridge, but I'll make sure to research that before we shop.

AND - we LOVED the doughnut. Four of the five of us shared it last trip. The fifth, oldest daughter, has a milk allergy, so she got left out of that on :-( But, we'll definitely get another one or two of those. Not expensive, fun, and good.

HRH rooms do have a fridge.

 

[snoopboop]

Thanks for the tip, Snoopboop - we did consider the club level room, but the only one available with the APH discount was something like $125 more and they only had the King room, so we opted not to go that way. LOVE the idea though, and we'll certainly check that option for future trips.

FYI It doesn't hurt to ask at check-in.... They should let you add Club Level access to whatever room you have for that $100 per night charge as long as there is availability...

 

[Cuchman]

This is my trip report for 2014, it reads day 1 trip report, day 1 dining, day 2 trip report, day 2 dining etc. Budget for food was $100 a day for 3 of us, universal and offsite food.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/sh...october-2014-universal-food-complete.3418576/

I've started my October 2015 one same idea

http://www.disboards.com/threads/he...2015-day-4-added.3471391/page-2#post-54992200

Thanks - very informative - and nice photos!

 

[1tripandIfell]

We loved the hotel very much

So happy to hear this! This is where we will be staying in a little over 2 weeks!!

 

[dixonsontour]

Thanks - very informative - and nice photos!

Thank you

 

[samheatherwhite]

I'll add that some of the table service in the parks can be as cheap or cheaper than the counter service. We ate at Finnegans and I ordered a salad that could easily feed two adults and my husband had a sandwich and it cost about the same as Simpsons did the next day. We just make sure and order water at the ts to save money and we always need it for hydration anyways!